The Rochdale Pioneers Museum[1] is housed in the building where the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society began trading on 21 December 1844. The museum is regarded as the birthplace of the modern co-operative movement and is located in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.
The museum includes a recreation of the original shop, featuring its rudimentary furniture, scales, and items that were sold there. It also illustrates the influence of the co-operative movement on issues such as women's rights, poverty, education, fair trade, and social reform. The museum is owned and operated by the Co-operative Heritage Trust.[2]
History
The building
31 Toad Lane was originally an 18th-century warehouse on a busy road that then extended to the centre of the town.[3]